The Chickasaw messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1880-1900, 1887-06-02

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stified every good thing. lie knew
the facts, he had taken on him tbs
high obligations OF a Journalist, 10
put from him all questions Of per
sonal gain and safety, and priLte,
the facts as be had them.
Now, Mr. Editor, with the pub
lie records IS they are, did he do
right to expose their corruption OF
not? What would you do If you
believed public official was try
ing to plumber your county treas
ury, and to perpetuate his rule by
banding the worst element ofsoci-
ETY. around him ] leave you to
answer, only saying, if You held
your peace, you would be unwor-
thy the respect Of mankind.
You venture 10 surmise what my
reflections must be over the tragic
ending Of my sons vigorous life.
Would You like 10 know win
tell what passed through my mind,
as I saw the mound raised over his
coffin. Realizing the unspeakable
desolauon Of my home and the
complete disiointure Of my plans,
aud the weakness brought into my
life work, as the loyal, strong son
lay there IN death, / nevertheless
felt in my heart, that preferred
he had died treading the highway
Of duty, than to have lived re-
creant to his trust as public
journalist. Sir, am Of tho op.u-
ion that it is better for any man 70
die right than to live wrosg. And
be who dies right always dies to q
purpose. Wolfe did not live to see
the victory completed on the plains
Abraham, but be lived TO set the
forces in motion which achieved
the victory that gave an empire to
his country, and he died on the
high places Of the field. Other
men have lived and died after the
same manner. And now ! have
two other sons approaching man
hood, TO whom I have taught the
same lessons Of courage and duty.
If it should please Heaven, that
they be public journalists, ] would
have them tread unfalteringly the
path Of duty, and, if it should hap
pen, that they fell for speaking the
truth, as they saw L, then sir, ]
would weep again; but again, I'M
less degenerate from the tradi-
tons Of my plain, honest ancestry,
| would prefer to weep for them 1
dead than to blush for them living
] trust You can fully understand /
these feelings. Ifyou cannot, then .
You and / are cast in different /
molds. and cannot understand each |
other. But, Mr. Editor, it is ofless
consequence that we understand
each other, than that we do our duty (.
in the present crisis. There may be
differences Of opinion as to many
questions, but among civilized peo-
pie there can be none as to assassi .
nation. There is upon our State /
an epidemic ofthis revolving crime. /
Rapidly it seems this is becoming .
the accepted way among the inn
moral Of avenging real or imagi- /
nary wrongs and of carrying ont /
personal ends Every paper and
every good citizen should speak
out against such a horrible method. I
You are needed on the right side,
but if youput yourselfon the other
side you must share the detestatioD
now almost universally felt for
the man and his abettors who struck
Town a fellow being In the dark
and then Drained him to silence his
lips forever. I do not know you,
Dnt have the impression that you
ire a young man, and therefore
eel special interest in you, as I
10 in all young men who are labor
ug to elevate our beloved State.
morally, fnauciallyand politically.
There is a coming bright day for
'oung men who take their stand
N the highland Of right, and the